Snapshots: Sandy Worley Dedication Ceremony

Family members, friends, and co-workers attend the dedication ceremony honoring Sandy Worley. Pictured above from left to right are Jeff Worley, Sarah Worley, Penny Cook, and Joe Worley.

The University of South Alabama College of Medicine held a dedication ceremony to honor Sandy Worley, a secretary in the physiology department who passed away in 2011.

The dedication took place Nov. 27, 2012, at the east side of the Medical Sciences Building, where benches and trees were placed in memory of Worley.

More photos from the dedication are shown below. To read more about the event, click here.

If you would like to make a donation to the Sandy Worley Memorial Fund, contact Racheal Banks at (251) 460-7481. You can also mail your donation to USA Health Sciences Development, 650 Clinic Drive, Mobile, AL, 36688.

USA College of Medicine Graduate Featured on National Television Show

University of South Alabama College of Medicine graduate Dr. Edward Panacek (COM '81), was recently featured in the television show “Untold Stories of the ER,” a documentary/drama television series in which emergency medicine physicians tell about their most bizarre and puzzling cases.

All the cases are based on actual events, and they typically involve extraordinary cases and life-threatening injuries or conditions.

Dr. Panacek, an emergency medicine physician at University of California Davis Health System in Sacramento, Calif., said that he has been working with the show’s producers for a few years.

“When they were starting up the show, a friend of mine recommended me because he knew I had a lot of interesting and unusual stories,” he said. “I ended up doing two episodes for seasons two through four, and now they have contacted me again.”

Dr. Panacek also said he has worked with the show extensively as a technical advisor to help answer questions about appropriate drug doses, names, and pronunciations for the show’s script writers. He explained that often the doctors portray themselves and tell their stories with help from actors who re-enact scenes. Dr. Panacek said that for the first few episodes producers had an actor play him, but in recent shows he has been in front of the camera himself.

Dr. Panacek said the show’s producers have already contacted him for more stories, and they are getting ready for another season. “I’ve been able to give them some new ideas, and now that I am used to seeing myself on there I kind of enjoy the process,” he said. “I also have a better sense of what they are looking for as far as the entertainment side of it.”

Dr. Panacek explained that he has quickly gravitated toward emergency medicine because he likes the fast pace and atmosphere in the ER. He is board certified in internal and critical care medicine, as well as emergency medicine. He has also been named a “Hero of Emergency Medicine” by the American College of Emergency Physicians and served as the residency program director at UC Davis Health System for a decade.

He said he still visits USA from time to time, and he has a deep appreciation for the educational foundation he received at the USA College of Medicine.

“I have extremely fond memories of USA," he said. "I received an outstanding clinical practice education there with a lot of one-on-one attention from the faculty. You don’t get that at larger schools, and I really enjoyed my experiences there.”

Dr. Panacek will be featured in the ER Holiday Special “Santa Baby,” which premieres December 1st on TLC, and again on Discovery Fit & Health on December 15th. He will also be featured on TLC January 9th for the episode “Delusional Bride.”

Eran and N.Q. Adams Neurology Scholarship: Now Accepting Proposals

The University of South Alabama College of Medicine is now accepting proposals for the Eran and N.Q. Adams Endowed Scholarship in Neurology. The scholarship was established to support, in the early stages of their careers, young physicians engaged in neurology who wish to gain a better understanding of dysautonomia.

Award Mechanism
USA invites third and fourth year medical students to submit applications for a scholarship that includes a unique research and/or learning opportunity. The candidate will concentrate on recognizing symptoms, providing accurate diagnosis, and providing the most currently recognized best treatment methods for patients with dysautonomia.

The successful candidate will be involved in a highly stimulating neurologic project designed to address their proposal, and will receive a tuition award of $7,500.  Proposals are due December 15, 2012 and awardees will be announced by February 4, 2013.

Prospective applicants should contact Nicole Laden at nicolesheehan@usouthal.edu for additional information.

Criteria Of Eligibility
1. USA 3rd or 4th year medical student
2. Student must declare an interest in entering neurology as a career
3.  A brief essay about their future career plans (1 page max)
4. The student should prepare a brief proposal (no more than 2 pages) for a learning experience or research project in dysautonomia. The student may consult with neurology faculty to help him/her select an appropriate project
5. Applications will be judged on the basis of scholastic performance in neuroscience and neurology recommendations and project proposal.
6. The student should solicit two letters of recommendation from neuroscience and/or neurology faculty
7. The award will favor students who intend to train and stay in the Mobile or Gulf region

Submit Applications To:
Adams Scholarship Committee • USA Dept. of Neurology • 2451 Fillingim Street • Suite 10-F • Mobile, AL  36617

To learn more about the Eran and N.Q. Adams Endowed Scholarship, and to view last year’s recipient, click here.

This Week's DSS - Dr. Steven Segal

The next Distinguished Scientist Seminar at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine will feature Dr. Steven Segal, the Margaret Proctor Mulligan Professor in Medical Research in the department of medical pharmacology and physiology at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo.

The lecture, titled "Neuromodulation of Intercellular Signaling Along Vascular Resitance Networks," will take place Nov. 29, 2012, at 4 p.m. in the Medical Sciences Building auditorium on USA's main campus.

Dr. Segal’s primary area of research interests include blood flow control, cardiovascular regulation, cell-cell signaling, exercise and microcirculation.

Dr. Segal received both a B.A. and M.A. degree in physical education and exercise physiology from the University of California at Berkley, and a Ph.D. in physiology and education from the University of Michigan. He earned a postdoctoral National Research Service Award (microcirculation) from the University of Virginia.

For more information on Dr. Segal's research, click here.